Venice Ca' D'oro

Those visiting Venice should not miss the chance to see the Ca' d'Oro, a fabulous building built on the banks of the Canal Grande. The Ca' d'Oro, the name of which derives from the gold used in the original façade, was built in the first half of the 1400's by Marino Contarini, and has come to represent a symbol of Venice with its spectacular late gothic architecture with open loggias overlooking the Canal Grande.

The Baron Giorgio Franchetti, who purchased and restored the building at the end of the 1800's, donated the Ca' d'Oro and its art collections to the State in 1915. Among the many works to be admired, one finds paintings by Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio, Mantegna's "San Sebastiano" and canvases by Titian, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Guardi, Van Eyck and other Flemish and German artists; within the Cà d'Oro there is also an impressive exhibition of Venetian ceramics, marble work from the Renaissance period, a collection of Bronzes, rare medals, frescoes, and a number of Greek and Roman exhibits. The well curb with allegories of the virtues by B.Bon is quite fascinating.